YOU ARE FREE

I borrowed the name of this post from one of my favorite musicians, Chan Marshall, AKA Cat Power. I thought it fitting to start this entry by paying homage to someone who inspires our staff and me. This post is about creative freedom - a principle we live and breathe every day.

I have pursued art from the time I could hold a crayon. I went to art school for college and ended up graduating with a double major in Fine Art and Communication. I apprenticed as a graphic designer which eventually turned into a gig at a small company in the Bay Area that made bath and body products. I became their packaging designer, eventually moved into product development, and then a position as Brand Manager. 

In the early stages of my career, I spent a lot of time pouring over books on Intellectual Property. I struggled with the reality that my creations didn't necessarily yield any credit - monetary or otherwise. Ultimately I realized I had to let it go or quit my job and become an attorney. I chose to adopt the philosophy that what I create is not mine. It's like a child, it came from me, it has my proverbial DNA, but I do not own it and I cannot control it once it leaves my hands. 

I started Karma Collars with a mission to make high quality products that are not considered novelty items. We intend to create timeless designs made with the highest quality materials we can get our hands on. We are sometimes asked to make products that break with this convention, out of integrity, we have to say "no" to some requests. We are extremely devoted to keeping our brand focused on positive imaging, durability, and safety.

While we do not personally have a major preoccupation with design ownership, we will not knowingly remake other collar company's designs under any circumstances. Similarly, if you commission an original custom design through Karma Collars and you would like it to remain proprietary, you have our word that we will not resell your design to others (please let us know about this ahead of time to avoid confusion). Thanks!